成長する
seichō-suru
In Japanese, 'grow up' can be expressed as 成長する (seichō-suru) or 大人に成る.
Meaning: to mature and become an adult (verb)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 成長する | seichō-suru |
| 大人に成る | otona ni naru |
成長する is used to express the concept of growing or developing. It is a broad term that can apply to physical growth, mental development, the growth of a plant, the expansion of a company or the improvement of someone's skills.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 大人に成る breaks down into 大人 (adult), the particle に which indicates a change of state and 成る (to become).
Which one should you use?
While 成長する refers to general growth or development across many contexts, 大人に成る specifically refers to the transition of becoming an adult or reaching maturity.
How do you pronounce it?
seichō-suru
Did you know?
- To tell someone to 'grow up' in an argumentative sense, Japanese speakers rarely use 成長する. Instead, they might say 子供っぽい to describe the person as 'childish'.
- While 大人 means 'adult', it literally translates to 'big person'. This reflects a linguistic view of adulthood as physical and social enlargement rather than just a legal status.
- While an English speaker might say 'you have grown' to a child, using 成長した (seichō-shita) to a person can sound overly clinical, as if you are describing the biological growth of a specimen or a plant.
Examples in context
- 彼は将来、立派な大人になるでしょう。He will become an excellent adult in the future.
- 君、もうおっきくなったね！Wow, you've grown up so much!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grow up” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
